Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Dark Yochatham’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Dark Yochatham’, characterized by its compact, upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dark green-colored foliage; uniform, freely and early flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescences with violet-colored ray florets; and excellent postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Dark Yochatham’.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Chrysanthemum Plant Named ‘Orange Yochatham’ U.S. Plant patentapplication Ser. No. 12/283,267 Applicant: Wendy R. Berman Filed:Concurrently with this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium,commercially grown as a pot-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referredto by the name ‘Dark Yochatham’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation ofthe Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar ‘Yochatham’, disclosed in U.S.Plant Pat. No. 17,927. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selectedby the Inventor in a controlled greenhouse environment as a singleflowering plant within a population of plants of ‘Yochatham’ in March,2005, in Fort Myers, Fla.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttingswas first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment in FortMyers, Fla. in June, 2005. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shownthat the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Dark Yochatham’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Dark Yochatham’ as a new and distinctpot-type Chrysanthemum cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded        plant habit.    -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely branching habit.    -   4. Dark green-colored foliage.    -   5. Uniform, freely and early flowering habit.    -   6. Decorative-type inflorescences with violet-colored ray        florets.    -   7. Excellent postproduction longevity with inflorescences        maintaining good substance and color for about five weeks in an        interior environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the parent,‘Yochatham’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower more uniformly than        plants of ‘Yochatham’.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and ‘Yochatham’ differ in ray        floret color as plants of ‘Yochatham’ have light purple-colored        ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants ofChrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Orange Yochatham’, disclosed in U.S. Plantpatent application No. 12/283,267. Plants of the new Chrysanthemumdiffer primarily from plants of ‘Orange Yochatham’ in ray floret coloras plants of ‘Orange Yochatham’ have orange bronze-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants ofChrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Deep Yopresidio’, disclosed in U. S. PlantPat. No. 17,493. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Fort Myers,Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum primarily from plants of ‘DeepYopresidio’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more compact than plants        of ‘Deep Yopresidio’.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences        than plants of ‘Deep Yopresidio’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises side perspectiveview of typical flowering plants of ‘Dark Yochatham’ grown in acontainer.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalinflorescences of ‘Dark Yochatham’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada duringthe late spring in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions andpractices which approximate those generally used in commercial pot-typeChrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, daytemperatures ranged from 20° C. to 24° C., night temperatures rangedfrom 15° C. to 17° C. and light levels ranged from 4,000 to 6,000 footcandles. Four unrooted cuttings were directly stuck in 15-cm containers,exposed to long day/short night conditions, and pinched about two weekslater. One week after the pinch, the photoinductive short day/long nighttreatments were started. Plants used in the photographs and thedescription were grown as spray-types and were eleven weeks fromplanting. In the following description, color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Dark Yochatham’.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of    Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Yochatham’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat.    No. 17,927.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at temperatures of            21° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About ten days at            temperatures of 21° C.        -   Root description.—Fine to thick, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous decorative pot-type Chrysanthemum            typically grown as a spray-type. Compact; stems upright and            outwardly spreading giving a uniformly mounded appearance to            the plant. Freely branching habit, about six lateral            branches develop after removal of terminal apex (pinching);            dense and full plant habit; moderately vigorous growth            habit.        -   Plant height.—About 29 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 19 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 26 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.            Internode length: About 2 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 147B.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.        -   Length.—About 5.5 cm.        -   Width.—About 4.2 cm.        -   Shape.—Palmately lobed.        -   Apex.—Cuspidate.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral lobes            parallel.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces. Fine pubescence; veins            prominent on lower surface.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to N137B.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137A; venation,            close to 137B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 137B; venation, close to 137C.        -   Petiole.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to 137C.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with            elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on            terminals above foliage. Ray florets arranged acropetally on            a capitulum. Typically grown as a spray-type.        -   Fragrance.—Faint; spicy.        -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower            in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other            times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development            can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at            least 13.5 hours of darkness). Early flowering habit; plants            exposed to two weeks of long day/short night conditions            followed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions            flower about eight weeks later.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color            and substance for about five weeks in an interior            environment; inflorescences persistent.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering, about ten to            eleven inflorescences develop per lateral stem.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About            1.2 cm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 76A.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.8 cm. Depth (height):            About 2.2 cm. Diameter of disc: About 3 mm. Receptacle            height: About 5 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 1.8 cm.            Receptacle color: Close to 147B.        -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Orientation: Initially            upright, then with development, close to perpendicular to            peduncle. Aspect: Initially incurved, then mostly flat.            Length: About 2.5 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Apex: Rounded or            emarginate. Base: Attenuate; short corolla tube. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;            satiny. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 156            arranged in about 14 whorls. Color: When opening, upper            surface: Close to N80C. When opening, lower surface: Close            to 76A. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 84B; color            becoming closer to 77D with development. Fully opened, lower            surface: More grey than 76A; color does not fade with            development.        -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.            Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About            3 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per            inflorescence: About twelve. Color, immature: Apex: Close to            153C. Mid-section: Close to 153D. Base: Close to 145D.            Color, mature: Apex: Close to 7A. Mid-section: Close to 7C.            Base: Close to 155D.        -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 32            arranged in about two whorls. Length: About 1.2 cm. Width:            About 2.5 mm. Shape: Narrowly elliptical. Apex: Acute. Base:            Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth,            glabrous; waxy. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color,            upper surface: Close to N137B. Color, lower surface: Close            to 147B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4 cm to 5.8 cm. Diameter: About            2 mm. Angle: About 30° to 40° from vertical. Strength:            Strong, flexible. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 147B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Filament length: About 1 mm. Filament color: Close to            1C. Anther shape: Narrowly oblong. Anther length: About            1 mm. Anther color: Close to 13A. Pollen amount: None            observed. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets.            Pistil length: About 6 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma            color: Close to 2B. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color:            Close to 145C. Ovary color: Close to 157D.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under    commercial conditions.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum tolerate    temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 40° C.

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Dark Yochatham’ asillustrated and described.